Google Cloud to Help Web3 Builders Fast-Track Their Startups

Google Cloud is looking to help Web3 builders fast-track their projects by expanding its early-stage support program for the community.

The “Google for Startups Cloud Program” initiative, which provides support for startups and emerging projects, will now be offered to builders in the Web3 industry to scale their projects faster and more securely, according to a press release on Tuesday. Eligible projects from pre-seed to Series A, will be able to apply for the program, which includes up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credits, over two years, as well as other technical support, the press release said.

Google, a Web2 powerhouse, has been pushing further into the Web3 world in recent years by helping developers use its technical expertise to build projects. Earlier this month, the Celo Foundation said that it was working with Google Cloud to offer workshops and cloud computing services to developers and Web3 founders building on Celo.

Last year, BNB Chain, a blockchain closely linked to the crypto exchange Binance, said it was joining with Google Cloud to support the growth of early-stage Web3 and blockchain startups.

“Google Cloud has been working closely with Web3 companies for several years,” James Tromans, head of Web3 engineering at Google Cloud, told CoinDesk in an emailed statement. “We are committed to supporting the growth of the Web3 ecosystem, and the expansion of the Google for Startups Cloud Program to the Web3 community reinforces our goal of equipping blockchain developers with the tools they need to succeed.”

Other program benefits will include early access to Google Cloud’s Web3 products and training on latest cloud-based technologies, according to the press release.

The program will give projects access to capital from various partners, including a total of up to $3 million in investments from the Polygon Ventures Ecosystem Fund. Eligible projects could also receive a $1 million grant from each of Google Cloud’s foundation partners: Aptos, Celo, Flow, HBAR Foundation and the Near and Solana foundations, the press release said.

“The expansion of the Google for Startups Cloud Program for Web3 means giving startups the ability to build on our fully managed, serverless platform, as well as the resources and community to be successful without creating technical debt that slows them down,” Tromans said in the statement.

The move comes as Google Cloud’s topmost competitor, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is ramping up its own efforts to increase its market share into the Web3 industry. In January, layer 1 blockchain Ava Labs said it partnered with AWS to accelerate Web3 adoption, and a month after, AWS posted that it's looking to hire Web3 staff for its cloud services.